Nah, I Didn't
by MagicGirlinAMuggleWorld
Summary: Jily fluff! Trapped in a broom closet, serious conversations, and a bit of pining.


_September 1976_

James Potter was no stranger to the broom cupboards of Hogwarts. He knew which ones had squeaky hinges and which smelled of mildew; he knew about the one that hosted a family of bats down near the dungeons; and, when they needed it most, he knew there was a spacious, nearly empty cupboard that could fit all four Marauders on the seventh floor opposite a tapestry of some dancing trolls. On nights like these, when he was wandering the castle after hours without his cloak, these varied cupboards served as miniature safe-houses, rest stops along whatever path he was taking to or from Gryffindor tower. If he had the Map with him, he kept an eye out for his beloved, no-nonsense Minnie, Hogwarts' cantankerous caretaker Mr. Filch, or one of the pairs of patrolling prefects – any of whom would be glad to give him detention (or worse) for being out of bed past curfew.

That is, unless one of the prefects was Lily Evans, in which case he _might_ coordinate his hiding place and departure time to purposely bump into her as she was finishing rounds. Those nights, she'd roll her eyes and lecture him on his penchant for rule-breaking, and _maybe_ take five points from Gryffindor if she thought he was getting too cocky with his King-of-the-Castle attitude. But she'd always let him follow her back to the dorms, and her scolding was more like banter, anyway, and he knew he'd have her smiling before they reached the portrait hole.

James always thought of those lecture-filled walks as their special time together.

He hadn't had a chance to be caught by Lily yet this term, since they were only a week in. And given the way they'd left things last Spring, he hoped if she _did_ catch him, she'd still let him follow her home like an adorably persistent puppy instead of sending him off to the dog catcher (Filch, in this analogy) like an unwanted stray.

Squinting at the Map, he dragged the small circle of light from his wand across the worn parchment. As if it were sending him a sign, he immediately noticed the dot labeled Lily Evans was moving quickly towards an intersection of corridors not far from the storage closet in which he was hidden this evening. If he wanted to greet her, let her tell him he was incorrigible, and use the walk back to Gryffindor to beg her forgiveness if necessary, here was his chance.

He was debating the merits of this approach when he noticed that Lily's dot had turned down the corridor towards him, not in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. Her dot sped up, coming closer and closer to James' hiding spot. In fact, she was nearly outside his cupboard door.

James' brow furrowed slightly as he scanned the Map more thoroughly and noticed Severus Snape's dot approaching the same intersection Lily had just left. And not a moment later, the door to James' closet flew open, and Lily darted inside in a blur of pale skin and auburn hair. She spun as she entered the small space, backing in and pulling the door shut behind her – and crashed directly into James.

He dropped the Map with a grunt, but his Quidditch-trained reflexes allowed him not only to keep them both upright, but to wrap his empty hand around Lily's mouth just in time to muffle her scream.

"Shh! Evans, it's—OOF," James grunted again as Lily elbowed him in the ribs and stomped on his foot.

She turned to face him as his hand fell from her mouth to clutch his side. Her green eyes were wide, her pupils huge in the dim light, and her breath was coming in pants as she looked him up and down. "Potter?" she whispered.

"Yes," he hissed through clenched teeth, "I was trying to tell you it's just me, but you attacked me before I could finish."

"Well, what do you expect a girl to do when you just grab her like that, and cover her mouth like some sort of kidnapper?" Lily snapped, her whisper growing louder. "You're lucky I didn't bite you!"

"Funny, I don't _feel_ lucky," James muttered. "I only grabbed you to keep you from knocking us both over. And I covered your mouth to keep you from yelling. Yelling is antithetical to hiding." He put a finger to his lips and raised his eyebrows to emphasize the point.

"Who says I'm hiding?"

James shook his head, one side of his mouth curving up even as he rubbed his ribs. "Hate to tell you this, but prefects patrolling the cupboards don't usually go ducking inside them." His smirk turned to a frown as he remembered her wide eyes and harried breaths after she'd thrown herself into the closet. "You all right, Evans?"

She glowered at him. "I'm fine."

"A late-night rendezvous, then? I wouldn't want to gate-crash your date in the supply closet."

"No!" Lily whisper-yelled. "It's—whatever's the opposite of a _rendezvous_, if you must know. I'm avoiding someone I _really _don't want to talk to!"

Suddenly, the path of the dots on the Map and Lily's increasing speed down the corridor made more sense.

But James couldn't reveal that he'd seen her running, mere steps ahead of Snape, without explaining _how_ he'd seen them. So he shrugged. "Fair enough. Me, too."

Lily raised her eyebrows. "Is that right?"

"Mmhmm." James nodded and pulled a chocolate biscuit out of the pocket of his robes as evidence. "I was coming from the kitchens, and I thought I heard Filch. And, obviously, I never want to talk to _him_, even under the most innocent of circumstances. Thus, the cupboard."

Perhaps she was giddy from the thrill of sneaking about the castle, or perhaps the biscuit in James' pocket caught her off guard, but Lily's giggle came out in a snort. She slapped a hand over her mouth and blushed.

James just grinned. Even her snort was adorable. But before he could tease her about it, he heard footsteps just beyond the door.

He paused, mouth open, and Lily's eyes widened. She grabbed James' wrist, her lips barely moving as she asked, "Can you do a disillusionment charm?"

"No," James whispered back, wishing he had his cloak. He released the lighting spell from his wand. "I think we'll learn them this Term."

"Fat lot of good that does," Lily murmured. She tugged James' hand. "Crouch down."

"What?"

"Do it!"

He did, and in the next moment, Lily was practically in his lap, pressing herself as tightly against him as she could behind some clutter.

"_Engorgio_," she whispered, pointing her wand at a broken chair. The back of it stretched up higher and higher, and James just _barely_ suppressed the impulse to make a crack about _other_ things growing larger because of Lily's presence.

They were very obviously engaged in a Serious Covert Operation, and there was no time for frivolity and jokes.

Plus, he really, _really_ wanted her to stay pressed against him, so. Innuendo would have to wait until there was less at stake.

It was pitch black in the cupboard now, so he couldn't be sure how well they were hidden, but James thought – hoped – the enlarged chair would keep them from being viewed from the door. He inched a little lower and stretched his legs a bit so Lily would have a proper place to sit. She was so short that, even seated on his lap, the top of her head barely rose above his. Her thick hair, smelling vaguely of wildflowers, tickled his nose when she shifted positions slightly. James had the sudden urge to bury his face in it.

He didn't, but he did inhale deeply just as the door was ripped open. He froze, his head full of that lovely breath that smelled like Lily's hair, as the light from the corridor spilled into their hiding place, shadowed in places by a boy's figure. Lily flinched, and James gripped her thighs to still the sudden movement. He held his breath and wondered if she could feel his heart thudding in his chest, pressed as it was against her back.

"I'd've sworn…but this is the only cupboard, and she's not…" Severus muttered to himself. He lingered for a moment, then shut the door and stomped away.

As his footsteps faded, James exhaled slowly. He felt Lily do the same.

Yet, they stayed there in silence, Lily on James' lap, his hands still resting on her thighs, listening to the sound of their own breathing in the dark.

After a few moments of quiet togetherness, Lily sighed. "I think we're all right now," she said softly. But she didn't move.

"Yes, I think we fooled him," James agreed. "That was brilliant, enlarging the chair."

"Eh, I'm just glad it worked," Lily said, shrugging, but James could hear a note of pride in her voice. He smiled a little, a small tender smile that only grew when she added, "And I'm so sorry I elbowed you before. I came barreling into your hiding place and had the nerve to assault you!"

James huffed out a laugh. "It was hardly an assault, Evans, and I think you established it was the only sensible thing to do in your situation."

She sniffed primly, but her tone was breezy. "I'm glad you see it that way."

Impulsively, he rested his chin on her shoulder. "Of course," he said. "You've always been the sensible one, I think."

Perhaps it was his lips next to her cheek, or the fact that he sounded far too fond, or maybe she thought he was mocking her — whatever it was, _something_ caused her to stiffen in his arms for a moment. But only for a moment, and then she relaxed against him again, her small, soft body curved against his hard one like she'd found peace in the way they fit together.

It was a sensation James understood completely.

But the peace was a fragile one, and he could sense that, too. He hesitated, knowing he had important things to say to her and wanting to be careful with how he said them. "Hey, Evans?"

"Hmm?" she said, her voice soft, languid. There was a certain comfort in the darkness, James thought, that allowed them to be like this. Like maybe they could just stay there forever.

That thought drove all others from his brain. He swallowed hard.

Suddenly, Lily bolted upright, the serenity shattered. "Oh, Merlin! I'm sorry, I should get off you—" She reached out to brace herself on the enlarged broken chair, bumping into a stack of old textbooks as she stood. One slid off the top of the pile and thumped to the floor.

"No!" One of James' hands grabbed her arm and the other instinctively tightened against her thigh. Just as quickly, he released her. "I mean, if you want to, of course, you can get up. I just meant—you don't have to if you _don't_ want to. I wasn't going to ask you to move."

"Oh," Lily whispered. She was halfway between seated and standing, but she slowly, cautiously lowered herself back onto James' lap. "Maybe just for a second, at least until we're sure no one heard that book fall? It would be silly to get caught now."

"Right. That it would," James murmured, and he was glad she couldn't see him smiling. He cleared his throat and reached up to ruffle his hair. "So, all I was going to say before is that—well, I hope you're all right, I mean, I hope you weren't avoiding…that wanker because…he threatened you, or anything like that. I mean, you know he's—there's been some nasty anti-Muggle stuff in the _Prophet_ lately, and I know what he said to you last year, and…"

"No, it's nothing like that at all!" Lily said fiercely, and James thought she was going to jump up from his lap again. But she only flicked her wand, casting a pale light on their surroundings, then twisted her torso so she could see his face. He willed his hips not to respond to the way her body shifted against his.

"I'm not _scared _of him," she continued, her gaze steady, "and he hasn't threatened me or anything. I'm just not interested in his apologies, either. I don't want to hear anything he has to say."

"I understand," James said, relieved on multiple levels. "I wouldn't either, if I were you."

As much as he liked to look at Lily's face, this next part was harder when he could see her eyes. He wet his lips as if that would make the words come more easily. Finally, he asked, "But…what about mine?"

"Your what?" She looked genuinely puzzled.

"Apologies," he said quietly but firmly. "Because I _am_ sorry. For being a git last year, picking fights with him when I knew he was your mate. Upsetting you."

"Oh." Lily ducked her head, thinking. Her expression was a bit mournful when she met his eyes again. "Thank you. I do accept your apology, and you _were_ a colossal git, even if it turns out you were right about him."

He hadn't expected the immediate fluttering in his heart that came with her forgiveness, though he should've. "'Course I was, I'm nearly always right," he teased, hoping to erase that bit of sadness from her face, wanting to make feel as light as he did. "It's part of why I've got such a big head, as you like to remind me."

It must've worked, because she elbowed him in the ribs again, but very gently, and then they were laughing, their heads falling towards each other and her hair brushing across his nose and mouth. He breathed in her scent again, wishing he could bottle it and take it with him to keep under his pillow for the sweetest dreams. As their giggles subsided, he sat up and gently brushed the curtain of hair back from her face, his fingers gliding through the long strands before he tucked them behind her ear.

"But thank you for accepting my apology," he said softly. "I'll do my best to be less of a git this year."

Lily sucked in a deep breath as his hand brushed her neck. "You're off to a good start, I think."

"Good." James' voice was low and fervent. "I just…I'd do anything to keep you from hating me. Or wanting to avoid me so much you'd hide in a supply closet to get away from me."

Lily rolled her eyes, but there was a smirk on her lips. "Potter, I'm hiding in a closet _with _you. I'm literally on your lap as we have this conversation."

"By necessity," he argued, spreading his hands, but he was grinning, too. "You wouldn't have come in if you'd known I was here. But maybe now—since we've talked—"

"The necessity ended ages ago, you dolt." She grabbed one of his flailing hands and brought it back to rest on her thigh. Even in the dim light, James thought he could tell that Lily was blushing. "Long before we started talking. And yet here I sit."

James felt his face go warm, too. He chuckled. "Well, I'm still grateful to the _necessity_ for forcing us into this position in the first place."

Lily smiled and settled herself against James' chest. Somehow, she fit even more perfectly now than before. "Me, too."

"Yeah?" James' face split into a wide grin, and he shook his head in awe. "I'm not sure I'll ever figure you out, Evans," he murmured. He wondered whether it was possible he could be dreaming as his arms encircled her, and his hands came to rest in her lap. "I spent all summer worrying you hated me."

Lily smiled and gave a small shrug. "Nah, I didn't," she whispered. She wrapped her hands around his. "I never could."

...

AN: My first one-shot for Jilytober 2019! Lots of classic tropes - broom cupboards, forced proximity, listening to each other breathe, a Quidditch reference...good times :-) If you enjoyed it, I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for reading!


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